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European Union authorities are turning their antitrust attention from Google's search activities to its Android operating system. The European Commission has launched a probe into complaints made by Google rivals that the company has grown the software via anti-competitive strategies, such as licensing the system below cost to device-makers and demanding that its array of services get preferred placement on the hardware. "Android is an open platform that fosters competition," Google said in a statement.

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Google and Lenovo Group will bring a smartphone to market this summer that uses Project Tango, Google's 3D augmented reality technology. The Chinese device-maker will build the phone, which it expects to cost less than $500. "We can use the room around us to play games, and hide behind the furniture," Google's Johnny Lee said.

Google reportedly plans to replace its Nexus-branded line of smartphones with a new program, "Android Silver" in which Google will spend heavily to help hardware partners develop and promote the phones, according to Internet media reports. For their part, the device-makers would give Google control over the software built into selected models in the company's effort to eliminate most third-party software and provide a pure Android handset.

AT&T Mobility has submitted a request to patent a mobile application that transmits detailed workout information to users' exercise equipment, which, in turn, automatically makes adjustments to the routine based on the data, according to the carrier's filing. The technology also allows users to send workout details from the equipment to the wireless device.

Google shocked analysts on Thursday with a sterling earnings report that showcased the success of its Android operating system. On an annualized basis, Android reaped $1 billion in revenue, compared with $2.5 billion for Google's core display advertising business. "Android is much bigger than I could ever have hoped for," Google CEO Eric Schmidt said. "Android can become a hugely profitable business for us. Search on mobile will eventually exceed that of PCs ... so, eventually, mobile will be a very, very strong revenue stream in comparison to PCs."

Buyers of applications from Google's Android Market will have 24 hours to claim a full refund under the company's newly outlined policies, which also state that Google retains the right to remotely remove any apps from Android handsets that violate internal policies, legal agreements or law. Meanwhile, the Android operating system may be running on low-cost notebooks within the next 12 to 18 months, according to an analyst at Gartner Inc. "Android could be a piece of a larger competitive battle between Google and Microsoft," said analyst Ray Valdes.